Headlands Technologies LLC Takes Position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS)

Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 2,499 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $127,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. FMR LLC boosted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 22.6% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,258,411 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $292,587,000 after acquiring an additional 1,339,862 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 1.8% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,732,942 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $110,165,000 after purchasing an additional 48,445 shares during the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC grew its holdings in Webster Financial by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 2,394,951 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $96,540,000 after buying an additional 184,905 shares in the last quarter. Davis Asset Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Webster Financial by 9.4% during the 3rd quarter. Davis Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,750,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $70,542,000 after acquiring an additional 150,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,363,237 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $69,198,000 after purchasing an additional 157,973 shares in the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, insider Daniel Bley sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.60, for a total value of $95,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 27,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,330,658. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Webster Financial Price Performance

Shares of WBS stock opened at $44.89 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The company has a market cap of $7.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.20, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.33. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $47.79 and its 200 day moving average is $46.65. Webster Financial Co. has a 1-year low of $31.03 and a 1-year high of $53.39.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.37 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $667.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $680.72 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 12.55% and a net margin of 21.09%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 6th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.56%. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is 32.79%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Thursday, January 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Webster Financial from $51.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. StockNews.com raised Webster Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Webster Financial from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $56.23.

Webster Financial Company Profile

Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides a range of financial products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, HSA Bank, and Consumer Banking.